The Future of HBCU's

I've been asked to
give my thoughts and opinions on what's going on with legislators wanting to
close South Carolina State University down until they fix their current
financial problem. If you're unfamiliar with the situation, you can catch up
here.

When it comes to
education, I pretty much hold HBCU's to a high standard. While schools like NC
A&T, NCCU, FAMU, Spelman, Morehouse, WSSU, Hampton and Howard have all taken the
necessary steps towards to the future, other schools have become a bit stagnant
in their ways when it comes to how it's being run. I've been pretty hypocritical
about how administrations at some of the older schools are running them into the
ground by refusing to come into the 21st century, I still stand by HBCU's
because in essence, they still mean a great deal to our people.

But here comes
the unpopular opinion, I agree with shutting down SCSU.

While I know how much
this will hurt the community and the school in the short term, in the long term
it can be beneficial. Everyone is up in arms about the school closing because of
its stature and what it means to our community, but in the same hand, enrollment
has gone down steadily, and debts of the school has continued to increase. I
mean I look at it like, close now, rectify the problems and open back up, or
continue down the path they you are on, and close permanently or risk losing the
school and it being turned into something else.

SCSU is just one of
many schools that need to take the step into the new century by adding valuable
programs that go along with the changing market. That's why student enrollment
is slowly decreasing; the degree programs that are being offered aren't really
viable in today's world. Then on top of that, there are a lot of moving parts to
administrations that need to go. It's time for the younger, hungrier generation
to come in, take these positions and compete with other schools for students
that want to do something big with their life.

The day and age where
you walk into a job with a degree and someone being impressed by it and hiring
you based off those merits are over. Now days you can literally get hired if you
have the job experience, that's where there is such an emphasis on doing
volunteer work and internships. Even now, a lot of veterans who are coming out
of the service are getting preference because they have the experience and
that's what companies are looking for. Couple that with the Obama wanting two
years of community colleges to be free, making it easier for people to transfer
to PWI's who are looking to increase student enrollment which leads to revenue
for their school.

The time for
change isn't tomorrow, it's now.

I foresee SCSU being
the first in a long line of schools being recommended for shut down, and with
the way the world is being ran these days, those schools are in danger more so
than ever of that happening. But that change isn't going to happen without the
elder alumni and without the younger alumni coming together to make the
necessary changes towards the better. There's such a dissention within those two
groups that making the changes is a bit of a task. But those issues need to be
resolved and the guard needs to change in order for the preservation of our
institutions of higher learning to survive.

There's no secret that
they've been targets for closure for years, let's show them that we mean
business and we are here to stay. I personally want my HBCU's to lead the way
when it comes to college experiences, because that's what separates us. We're a
family, and we teach not only things to know about the real world, we teach
things to grow young African-Americans in our communities to lead those who
decide not go down the same path they choose, but show we still support them.

We need to
change now, or we risk losing the very thing our ancestors fought to establish
when no one would give us a second glance at being better than what we were
given.

What
are your thoughts on the proposed SCSU closure? Do you agree, do you not agree?
Leave the comments in the section below.